Maya Kulkarni, a renowned dancer, choreographer, teacher, and commentator, is celebrated for her exceptional technique and storytelling prowess. Trained under eminent Gurus like Parvati Kumar, Kittappa Pillai, Kalanidhi Narayanan, Jaylaxmi Alava and Dandaythpani Pillai, she has performed extensively across the US, Europe, and India.
Maya is the creator of Shilpanatanam, a new dance vocabulary that has drawn enormous attention in dance circles and audiences in the US and India. She has choreographed 40 new works over the past 12 years in the Shilpanatanam style, blending classical forms with innovative themes. Notable pieces include “The Allegory of the Cave,” “The ‘Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” in collaboration with Sonali Skandan,” “Adventures of a Naughty Bee”, “Kundalini”, “Kavacham” Ardhanari Natesha, “Jatayu”, “Rati Vilaap”, and “Tara” amd a troilogy, Tridha adn a dance drama, entitled “Manikarnika”. Her works have been featured in prestigious festivals in India and the USA. In 2025, Maya took Shilpanatanam to Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Thrissure and New Delhi, presenting lecture demonstrations and performances collaborating with US-based dancers. In addition, she has co-produced (with Mesma Belsae) acclaimed dance films “Chinnamasta’ and “In the Creator’s Gaze”. Maya Kulkarni has won grants from the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts for her choreographic work. Kulkarni’s curations have included the NJ annual Nrtityadarpan Festival and the We Are Dancing Festival, the latter under the banner of Aalap in NYC. She runs the Cultural Center for Movement Arts and Education, a non-profit institution in NYC which supports artists and new dance productions.
